PAMED Supports Commonwealth Lawsuit to Protect Patients from Misleading AI Medical Bots

The Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) commends Governor Shapiro for the recent lawsuit filed against Character.AI, which marks a first of its kind action against artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The lawsuit, filed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Commonwealth), Pennsylvania Department of State (Department), and the State Board of Medicine, is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the company’s AI companion bots from posing as licensed medical professionals who can provide medical advice. 

According to the Department, the company’s chatbot allegedly stated it was licensed in Pennsylvania and provided an invalid license number. The Pennsylvania Medical Practice Act makes it unlawful for an individual or entity to hold itself out as a licensed medical professional without proper credentials.

PAMED is strongly dedicated to preserving the physician-patient relationship through advocacy and by monitoring issues that might hinder this relationship. While we continue to learn about AI tools and their use in health care, it’s important that we monitor for new scope creep and licensing issues that could impact who treats Pennsylvanians and how they are diagnosed and advised on prevention and management of medical conditions.

PAMED will continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for strong safeguards that protect patient safety and the integrity of medical practice in Pennsylvania.